he purged the Temple and beganne to cast out them that sold and bought in the Temple and ouerthrew the tables of the mony changers and the seates of them that sold Doues and would not suffer that any man should carry a vessell through the Temple saying vnto them It is written Mine house is the house of prayer but yee haue made it a donne of theeues the high Priests and the Scribes and the chiefe of the people sought to destroy him Luke 19.47 When he had wrought another good worke and had raised from the dead Lazarus Maries and Marthaes brother who had now bene dead foure daies and began to stinke in the graue as his sister Martha said yet came foorth of the graue bound hand and foote with bands and his face was bound with a napkin then gathered the high Priests the Pharises a Councell consulted againe which way to bring him to his death Ioh. 11.47 c. Finally to passe ouer other particulars which happened in the whole course of his life when he had done them what good he could from time to time as appeareth by these his words Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent to thee how often would I haue gathered thy children together as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings ye would not Math. 23.37 yet they notwithstanding the same tooke him apprehended him as their deadly enimie and as a malefactor that was not worthy to liue vpon the face of the earth amongst them any longer Iudas one of the twelue came vnto him and with him a great multitude with swords and staues from the high Priests and the Elders of the people and they tooke him and led him to Caiaphas the high Priest where the Scribes and Elders were assembled There he was examined by them accused and condemned to death likewise some of them there beganne to spit at him and to couer his face and to beate him with fists and to say vnto him Prophecy vnto vs ô Christ who is he that smote thee And the Sergeants smote him with their rods Math. 26.47 c. and Mar. 14.43 c. After this in the dawning of the day when the morning was come they led him away bound vnto Pilate and laid most grieuous things vnto his charge but when Pilate heard of Galile he asked whether the man were a Galilean and when he knew that he was of Herods iurisdiction he sent him to Herod but Herod with his men of warre despised him and mocked him and arrayed him as if he were a foole in white and sent him againe to Pilate Luke 23.11 Then Pilate ouercome by his aduersaries did at the last giue sentence against him caused him to be scourged and to be sent away to the place of execution Mar. 15.15 But before he came thither see what the souldiers did They led him into the hall which is the common hall and called together the whole band and clad him with purple and platted a crowne of thornes and put it about his head and beganne to salute him saying Haile King of the Iewes and they smote him on the head with a reed and spat vpon him and bowed their knees and did reuerence And when they had mocked him they tooke the purple off him and put his owne clothes on him and led him out to crucifie him Mar. 15.16 c. Being come to the place of execution which was without the citty they crucified him and hanged him vpon a tree betweene two theeues And as he hanged there in that shamefull and opprobious manner The people stood by him and beheld him and they together with the rulers mocked him saying he saued others let him saue himselfe if he be the Christ the chosen of God The souldiers also mocked him and came and offered him vinegar and said If thou be the king of the Iewes saue thy selfe Likewise they that went by railed on him wagging their heads saying Hey thou that destroyest the Temple buildest it in three daies saue thy selfe and come downe from the crosse Lastly one of the euill doers which were hanged with him railed one him saying If thou be the Christ saue thy selfe and vs. Luke 23.35 c. and Mark 15.29 c. In regard of all which things we see that our Sauiour might iustly make his cōplaint here say Why do the heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine The kings of the earth band themselues the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and his Annointed Come let vs breake their bands and cast their cords behind vs. Here before we goe any further a question may be asked to wit why Christ was thus reiected by all sorts of persons For a man may iudge that euery one should haue loued him and haue reioyced greatly for him he was so gentle so meeke so humble so patient so wise so learned so holy so mercifull so louing and in one word so willing and so able to do euery man good as none in the whole world besides him either was or could be We know that the virgin Mary did sing and reioyce when she knew that she should beare him Luk. 1.46 c. And that the Angels did sing and reioyce when he was borne Luk. 2.13 c. And that Simeon did sing and reioyce when he was brought into the Temple Luke 2.27 c. And that Abrahams sonne which he had by old Sarah that was a type and figure of Christ was called Isaac which name signifieth laughter to shew what ioy and laughter there should be about Christ Gen. 21.3 In consideration whereof the question may rightly be moued why the world should thus oppose themselues against Christ But the answere to it is this They hated him without a cause as our Sauiour himselfe doth testifie of them in Ioh. 15.25 Some of them did persecute him through ignorance not knowing what he was as we may see by his prayer to his Father for them in Luk. 23.34 when he saith Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe Also by the Apostles words in 1. Cor. 2.8 For had they knowne it saith he they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory Others of them did resist him of malice and of a cankered stomach they knowing well enough what he was as is apparant by the words of our Sauiour who doth accuse them for that cause of the sinne against the holy Ghost which can neuer be forgiuen in Mark 3.28 Some lastly did neglect him through feare and dread they knowing that if they did beleeue in him or confesse him they should be excommunicated out of their Synagogues according to the law of the Iewes as is apparant by Ioh. 9.22 where we find that the blind mans parents for that cause would not confesse that Christ had cured their son And as they did thus feare trouble at home yea some of the great ones as well as the small ones as we
shall preserue thee Wisdome is the beginning get wisdome therfore and aboue all thy possessiōs get vnderstanding He is very frequent with the like exhortations in many places also of the same booke Reade them I pray at your leasure and marke them well Paul in like manner writing vnto the Ephesians doth stir them vp to the same duty saying Wherefor be yee not vnwise but vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Eph. 5.17 Dauid also inioined the same duty vpon his son Salomon towards the end of his dayes saying vnto him as followeth My sonne know thou the God of thy fathers and serue him with an vpright heart and willing minde as it is in 1. Cron. 28.9 Finally the Lord himselfe doth oftentimes make his moane and complaint for the want of this wisdome and knowledge in his people which is here required of vs all teaching vs thereby how necessary it is for euery one and how well pleasing to himselfe But at this time two places alone to shew the same shall content vs. The one is in Esay 1.3 when he saith The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his maisters cribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people haue not vnderstood The other is in Ieremy 4.22 where you haue these words For my people is foolish they haue not knowne me they are foolish children and haue no vnderstanding they are wise to do euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge By all which places we may clearely see what doth belong to vs euen a sauing knowledge of Gods will and an holy vnderstanding of his waies Wee must not be like to the horse or mule that haue no vnderstanding as Dauid saith in Psa 32.9 but we must be changed by the renewing of our minds that we may know what is the good perfect and acceptable will of God as Paul doth teach vs in Rom. 12.2 And the reasons hereof are many Reasons First because euery man by his owne knowledge is a very beast before the Lord as Ieremy doth witnesse of vs in Ieremy 10.14 and as Dauid doth confesse of himselfe in Psalme 73.22 saying So foolish was I and ignorant I was a beast before thee Secondly because we shall neuer obey the Lord aright vntill we know him and vnderstand his will nor yeeld any faithfull seruice vnto him as it doth become vs. For the ground-worke of all religion the foundation of all true pietie is the knowledge of the Lord and his wayes As on the contrary side the cause and fountaine of all disobedience against God is the ignorance of his will and the vnlearnednesse of the same as we haue heard in this Psalme already and as we may see by Hosea his complaint in the beginning of the fourth chapter of his Prophesie where hee doth make his moane that men did lie and steale and commit adultery and that bloud did touch bloud and assigneth this reason of it euen because there was no knowledge of God in the land And surely where men know not God what can bee looked for else but all impietie against God and all vnrighteous dealing against men Lastly because all such as are ignorant of the Lords will doe not onely erre while they are here committing grieuous sinnes against him but shall be damned also hereafter for euer My people saith the Lord in Hosea 4.6 are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And Paul doth shew in 2. Thess 1.8 that when Christ shal come to iudgement and shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire he shall render vengeance vnto them that doe not know God which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power So that if we ponder of all these reasons well we shal easily grant that there is cause sufficient why euery man should labour and striue to plant some heauenly knowledge within his soule and to become wise and learned in the statutes of the Almightie In regard whereof we see first in what great fault the world is in For there is ignorance in euery place Alas alas most men know not aright either that God who hath made them or themselues who are made by him And as for the grounds of true religion and the rules of the Lords worship they are as a sealed and clasped booke vnto them We dwell in a nation and country wherin the word of God hath bene freely read preached many yeares together yet it is pittifull to heare vnderstand what ignorance is still amongst men and how vnwise vnlearned they be in the statutes of the Lord. God amend vs. But here some may say that there was neuer more knowledge in this land then now is at this present To this I answer first that our knowledge is nothing to our long and continued teaching For in regard thereof we ought to be teachers our selues who yet are taught of others and haue need also to be instructed in the very first principles of the word of God and are become many of vs at the least such as haue neede of milke and not of strong meate as the Author to the Hebrews doth speake in the latter end of his fifth chapter Secondly that our knowledge for the most part is not a sauing or sanctifying knowledge but talkatiue and discoursing It hangs vpon our tongue and swimmes about in the circumference of our braine but it sinkes not downe into the bottome of the heart as it ought to do to bring forth a reformed life For we haue many talkers but few true walkers and sundry there are who can discourse at large in matters of religion but few there are who feele the power and force thereof being deaded by the meanes thereof vnto their sinnes and quickened vp vnto all fruitfull workes of righteousnesse whereby God may be honoured and man edified Secondly by this we may see that that doctrine which is most currant at Rome those places where Popery doth beare sway to wit that Ignorance is the mother of Deuotion is most false and erroneous and to be abandoned by vs that are true and holy Christians As Christ doth say to the Sadduces Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God in Mat. 22.29 making there ignorance the cause of error which is cleane cōtrary to their doctrine so he saith to the Iewes Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me in Iohn 5.39 imposing there this dutie vpō all that do intend to be saued at the last to be conuersant in the Scriptures which is dissonant altogether to their practize and teaching If I would stand vpon such a common place as this is I could alledge both places and reasons enough to ouerthrow them in this respect who are herein most like vnto those cursed and hypocriticall Scribes and Pharisies who did shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men neither going in thēselues nor suffering
did eate he should not perish but haue life euerlasting Ioh. 6.41.60.61 As thus you haue heard what they did so now heare what was the euent of their doing All was in vaine but in vaine saith the Prophet by which word he doth signifie that all their indeauour was to no purpose For a thing is said to be in vaine which cannot be brought to passe but shall lacke his effect In Hebrew the word is in the singular number called Rijk and it doth import a vacuitie or emptinesse and such a vanity of things as haue no substance in them no more then a dry pit hath water or an empty house hath stuffe But in Greeke the word is of the plurall number termed Kena and in signification is all one with the former sauing onely that this doth shew more fully as it were by the plurality of it that all the things which they did meditate vpon in their hearts murmuringly mutter forth with their tongues were frustrated and brought to nothing being in this respect like vnto sicke mens dreames which haue no truth or verity in them Here might many things be obserued As first that raging in a tumultuous manner and murmuring though in a secret sort are diseases and sores euermore to be found among the common people and the meaner of the world Secondly that by raging and murmuring resistance is made against the Lord and his Annointed Thirdly that all attempts which are made against the Almighty those whom he doth set vp whether by the one of these meanes or by the other shall be broken and come to nought Fourthly that the multitude and vulgar sort are alwaies enimies to the wise and gracious gouernement of our God And lastly that raging and murmuring themselues are two notorious euils which are alwaies to be abandoned by the holy and blessed Saints of the most High who doe purpose truely to serue the Lord and to go to heauen But as a man entring into a shop where is great variety of wares will buy onely that which is necessary for himselfe and his vses let the rest alone Or as a man sitting at a table where are sundry dishes will in wisedome feede onely on them which will agree with his body best and doe him most good and not meddle of the rest So let vs stand vpon those points alone which are most commodious for vs and may turne to our greatest good and let passe the rest And they are in number the two last which also are intended most if not onely by the Spirit of God in the text it selfe vnlesse it be the third respecting the vanitie of all such attempts as shall be made against the Lord whereof wee haue spoken already in the generall view of the whole Psalme and so are not now againe to speake thereof at this time First then in that the heathen do thus rage the people do thus murmure against Christ and his kingdome as we haue heard we gather this doctrine Doct. that the multitude and the whole body of the Commons will euermore be enimies vnto the Lord and his truth If we peruse the writings of the Prophets or runne ouer the Acts of the Apostles or cast our eies vpon the conuersation of the whole race of mankind we shall easily finde this to be most true and certaine Noah found it so when for all his preaching in sixscore yeares together he could not conuert any vnto the Lord but they would notwithstanding his preaching continue in their sinnes till the floud came and drowned them all 1 Pet. 3.20 Lot found it so when he vexed his righteous soule from day to day with the vnlawfull deedes and vncleane conuersation of the Sodomities 2. Pet. 2.7.8 chiefly then when they compassed his house about from all the quarters of the citty both yong and old with murthering hearts to kill those men or rather Angels that came to lodge with him Gen. 19.4 c. Aaron found it so when all the Israelites fell to idolatry and compelled him to make them a golden calfe to worship it or as they termed it Gods to goe before them Exod. 32.1 Isay found it so when he said of the whole people of Israel that they were a sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of the wicked corrupt children that they had forsaken the Lord and provoked the Holy one of Israel against them yea they were gone backeward and that there was nothing found in them from the sole of the foote vnto the top of the head but wounds swelling sores full of corruption Isay 1.4 c. Ieremy found it so when he said of the same people that they were a wicked people and that they did refuse to heare the word of God but would walke after the stubbornnesse of their owne heart and walke after other gods to serue them and to worship them Ier. 13.10 Dauid found it so when he said of all mankind that they were all of them gone out of the way that they were all corrupt and that there was wone that did good no not one Psalme 14.3 Finally to omit almost infinite examples Paul and Silas found it so when they were at Philippy a chiefe citty in Macedonia where all were set against them both people and gouernours and did not onely beate them sore with rods but they cast them also into prison and commanded the gaoler to keepe them surely there from all escaping away Acts 16.22.23 Hitherto you haue heard what the people do Reason euen rebell still against the Lord and his blessed word Now heare what are the reasons of this their so doing and marke what moues them thereunto There are many reasons of it but these foure are the chiefe and principall The first is there foolishnesse or ignorance For they not knowing the Lord nor vnderstanding his waies aright but being in this respect worser then the Oxe that knoweth his owner and the Asse that knoweth his maisters crib as the Lord doth complaine of them in Isay 1.3 they cannot but doe as Paul did in the time of his ignorance euen oppose themselues against the Almighty or those of whom Christ doth say that they shall thinke they do God good seruice in putting his Saints to death Ioh. 16.2 For this cause the Lord doth make his moane for the foolishnesse and ignorance of his people as of the wel-spring of all their rebellions against him in Ier. 4.22 in these words For my people is foolish they haue not knowne me they are foolish children and haue none vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to do well they haue no knowledge The second is their impatiency or angry waywardnesse who cannot waite vpon the Lord with any patience or beare any crosse quietly For this doth cary them away to horrible rebellions as we may see by daily experience and by the example of the children of Israel in the wildernesse who being angry for their crosses and impatient of thirst of
be so as plainly as euidently as if they heard the Lord speaking from heauen vnto thē by word of mouth His destroying confoūding of them shal cry like a shril voice in their eares that it was he himselfe no created wight euen he himselfe that is the God of Gods the Lord of hoasts that did set vp Dauid to be King of Israel Christ his Son to be King of his Church whom they had so rebelliously resisted laboured to haue displaced out of their thrones Here is a great Emphasis it is as much as if he had said What shal I set vp a King will you ô ye rebels go about to put him downe How dare you do this What shall I place one ouer my people make him to be their Lord and chiefe gouernor will you ye traytors refuse to yeeld obedience vnto him ioine hand and head together to ouerthrow him and to remoue him out of his kingdome O impietie neuer heard of O wickednesse most intollerable Know you know you that for this cause I cannot beare with you but I must needes speake to you in my wrath and vexe you in my sore displeasure as now I do By Zion here his holy mountaine the kingdome of Israel is vnderstood if we referre it vnto Dauid but if we referre it vnto Christ the Church is meant thereby Zion was the citie of Dauid and the place where his Court was vsually held and kept as it is in 2. Sam. 7.7 But here it is put figuratiuely for the whole kingdome of Israel whereof that was a chiefe and principall part And it is tearmed withall the holy mountaine of God because it stood on high vpon a mountaine or hill where the Lord did manifest his holinesse vnto his people as by the presence of his arke which was there so also by the exercises of pure religion which were held in the Tabernacle and Temple that were built in that place and feared vpon that mountaine or hill Thus literally this place is to be referred vnto Dauid and it is true of him that God did set him vp as King ouer this kingdome of Israel as we may see in 1. Sam. 16.12 13. But sacramentally and after a spirituall maner these thing are to be referred vnto Christ and his Church For Zion also was a type thereof as we may see in Esay 2.3 and in Heb. 12.22 And Christ we know was chosen of his Father to bee the head and King thereof as anone by Gods grace shall more fully appeare And as the earthly Zion was tearmed the mountaine of Gods holinesse so may this heauenly Zion well beare that appellation or name For I. it is most like vnto a mountaine then 2. the Lord doth manifest his holinesse more there then in any other place It is most like a mountaine in 3. respects First for the exaltation and supereminencie of it for as a mountaine is an high place aboue other places so the Church of God is exalted aboue other congregations and that for Gods delight in it and most excellent blessings vpon it which are either present or to come Secondly for the manifestation and aptnesse of it for as a mountaine is in open sight view of all men so the Church of God stands in the eie-sight of all persōs euery mans eye is bent to mark diligently what they do as his eare is open to listen to that which they speake Thirdly for the strength and stablenesse of it for as a mountaine is a strong thing and vnmoueable so the Church of God is so strong and inuincible that all the powers of the world and of hell below cannot ouerthrow it but it shall remaine firme and stable notwithstanding the same for euermore I beseech you by the way make vse of all these things By the first looke vpon your honour and great aduancements wherunto you are exalted aboue all others As Salomon saith in the Prouerbs 31 29 Many daughters haue done vertuously but thou surmountest them all so you may say Many congregations in the world are exalted on high but we the true Church are lifted vp aboue them all By the second be moued to haue an holy care of your liues that you may walk circūspectly at all times in the waies of godlines that your light may so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen And by the third and last be secretly comforted and grow to a full resolution that nothing shall be able to separate you from the loue of your God but that you shall remaine firme and stable in his fauour for euermore Now for the other poynt as the Church is like to a mountaine so it is holy as the mountaine Zion was First for the Lords being in it who is holinesse it selfe for though he be in all the world yet hee is more especially in his Church then in any other place besides according to that in Psal 68.16 and 48.1.2 Secondly for the holy exercises of religion and the goodly works of Gods worship which are found therein for there is prayer singing of Psalmes reading and preaching of the word receiuing of the Sacraments and the like all which are workes of holinesse and purity Lastly for the sanctification of men and women which are therein for they are not prophane and licentious as in other places but they are sanctified made holy by the bloud of Christ the working of the Spirit Our of these things also gather some short notes as we go along Let the first of thē make you reioice be glad that you haue so good a God that though he be full of maiesty glory yet he is content to come home to your houses and to dwell in the chambers of your soules and there to quiet himselfe in your loue and to reioyce ouer you with ioy as Zephany doth speake in Zeph. 3.17 As Elizabeth said when the virgin Mary came to her Whence commeth this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me Luke 1.43 so may we say at the Lords comming to vs What a fauour and dignitie is this that the Lord of heauen and earth should thus come to vs Let the second of them stirre you vp to frequēt holy exercises and to throng to the house of praier and to such places where the Lord is rightly worshipped As the nations say in Mich. 4.2 Come and let vs go vp to the moūtain of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob so let vs say Come let vs go to the Church congregatiō of God to praier to the preaching of the word to other holy exercises of pure holy religion Let the third and last of them admonish you of that purity holinesse which ought to be in you that so you may neuer giue rest vnto your eies vntil you see your selues washed frō your sins by the bloud
auoided by euery good Christian and those that would be the faithfull children of the most high God of heauen But on the former of thē I will not now stand partly because all do confesse that to be a most hainous offence and partly because we are somewhat cleare and innocent from it but I will stand onely vpon the latter as vpon a thing more doubtfull and wherein we are intangled most The which to be a most grieuous sin in the sight of the Almighty howsoeuer man doth iudge lightly of it appeareth euidently by three things First by his often condemning of it in his word Secondly by his branding of them with a note of great infamie or reprobation who were subiect vnto it And thirdly by his seuere punishing of them who were guilty in it If we peruse the word we shall finde many places condemning the same but I will presse two or three alone Do all things saith Paul in Phil. 2.14 without murmuring and reasonings And againe writing to the Corinthians in 1. Cor. 10.10 he saith Neither murmure ye as some of them also murmured making mention there of the Israelites and were destroyed of the destroyer Likewise Peter well agreeing with him saith in 1. Pet. 4.9 Be ye harborous one to another without murmuring If we search the Scriptures we shall finde againe that murmurers therein are brought in as the leawdest and vilest people that be Iude in his Epistle speaking of vngodly persons who are a staine vnto true religion euen of such as were ordained of old vnto eternall condemnation as appeareth in the 4. Vers of that Epistle doth amongst other things set them out by this marke that they are murmures and complainers walking after their owne lusts as it is in the 16. verse thereof Whereby we see that God doth brand them with the note of reprobation as I said before In like manner as Kain is recorded to be a murtherer a runnagate a vagabond and a damned wretch who was a murmurer and one that did repine and grudge that God should respect his brother Abel aboue himselfe Gen. 4.5 c. So are all the Israelites who did so often murmure and grudge against the Lord and Moses his seruant in the wildernesse reputed for most vile and notorious sinners and that by God himselfe in these words Forty yeares haue I contended with this generation and said They are a people that erre in heart for they haue not knowne my waies Wherefore I sware in my wrath saying suerly they shall not enter into my rest Psal 95.10.11 Lastly if we carefully obserue the story of sacred Oracles we shall find that most heauy plagues iudgements haue bene excuted vpon offenders in this respect But to touch one or two it is not vnknowne that though Miriam were an excellent woman and one of great account amongst all the people of God yet the Lord did not spare her but did strike her with the Leprosie a cursed an odious disease for her murmuring against Moses Numb 12.10 Againe it is apparant that though God made choise of Israel to be his people before all the nations of the world and did carry them as it were in his bosome as a mother doth carry her child in her bosome yet he did destroy many thousands of them by the Amalekites the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountaine of their wandring for their murmuring and repining yea and more then that hee debarred them all from entring into Caanan that came out of Aegypt except two viz. Iosuah and Caleh as we may see at large in the 14. Chap. of Numbers But yet his hand staid not there For besides all that he cast most of them downe to hell and would not suffer them to come to heauen which is the plague of all plagues and the heauiest iudgement that can be as the Apostle doth obserue in the 3. and 4. Chapters of his Epistle to the Hebrewes As thus you heare that murmuring is a sinne Reason so peraduenture you would gladly vnderstand the cause why it is a sinne In few words it is a sinne for two causes The one is because it hath an errour in it whereby we iudge amisse of the Lord and his wayes whether workes or words For whensoeuer we murmure for any matter we iudge and thinke that that matter is out of order and that it might be better disposed of then it is As for example when the maister of the vineyard gaue vnto euery one a penny at night that laboured in his vineyard the enuious man grumbled at this because he thought here was no iustice and equity obserued in that all of them were made equall in their wages who were vnequal in their labours So when we murmure against God we do dislike with something in God and so we do controll him and preferre our selues who are foolish and wicked before him who is most wise and holy as though we our selues in the like case could do better then God hath done then which blasphemy what can almost be more hainous The other cause is because it hath some rebellion in it as a cursed effect arising from the wickednesse of that former cause whereof we haue already spoken For when the soule is thus corrupted with a wrong iudgement the heart that begins to boyle and rise against God in many angry and foolish passions and the tongue oftentimes is loosed with most vile and reprochfull words that I may not speake of the hands and the rest of the members all which are much out of order by this meanes and carried ouer to a sea of corruptions as we may see in those murmurers and many others who were mentioned before Wherefore when Moses went about to draw the people from their murmuring he wils them to rebell no more as though to murmure to rebell were all one Numb 14.9 And when God doth reproue them he doth demand How long they will prouoke him and how long it will be yer they doe beleeue him in the 11. verse of the same Chapter as though there were no difference betweene murmuring and prouoking of God or not beleeuing in him So that then if it be an abhomination before the Lord to condemne the innocent in our thoughts and to rebell against the gouernours of the land it is apparant and euident that murmuring must needes be a great sinne seeing it hath these two great euils in it the one of iudging amisse of the Lord the other of rebelling against his maiesty But to passe the causes let vs come to the vses They are in number two The first of them sheweth the great impiety of our land Vse 1 for seeing that murmuring is a great euill and we haue murmurers in euery place and amongst all estates we may see that our land is wicked and naught In it reigne many sinnes as swearing lying whoring theeuing quaffing gormandizing contempt of the word and the faithfull embassadours thereof with many other notoriousvices such as couetousnesse
stripe when by a iust and mercifull law he may giue vs fortie then we haue no cause in the world to murmure against them for it but to thanke them So beloued seeing that God doth but lightly touch vs with his finger when he may presse vs downe with his whole hand and doth but fatherly chastise vs with a few stripes here when he might cast vs downe into hell and there keepe vs in vnsufferable torments for euermore shall we murmure and grudge against him for this his dealing no no we must not do so but like good and faithfull children we must blesse his glorious name most heartily for it and cry our with Ieremy saying It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Lament 3.22 Fiftly you must know and marke that as God doth deale more fauourably with vs then we do deserue he sparing vs as a father doth his child so he doth neuer lay any more vpon vs who are his children then we can beare as the Apostle doth shewe in 1. Cor. 10.13 saying God is faithfull which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able to beare but will euen giue the issue with the tentation that ye may be able to beare it For this should quiet our minds and make vs dumbe according to the example of Christ who being heard of his Father in the thing which he feared Heb. 5.7 went to his death and passion without all murmuring quiet and dumbe as a sheepe is before the shearer Esay 53.7 Sixtly you must know and marke that as God will proportion out our burthen according to our strength and abilitie to beare it so he will turne all those crosses and burthens which he doth lay vpon vs to our best in the end as Paul doth well obserue in Rom. 8.28 saying Also we know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose For this should quiet our minds and make vs dumbe For we do loue and like those things which turne to our profit and we do reioyce in them greatly He is a mad man that being either sicke or lame will fret and chafe at the Phisition and Surgion when they come vnto him with vndoubted remedies to make him well within some day or two So not much better are we if we storme and fret at those things which the Lord doth lay vpon vs considering that they shall turne to our good and comfort But haply you perceiue not how this may be that afflictions should turne to our best Marke it then they do it two wayes one way by pulling vs from our sinnes and causing vs to be more holy as you may see in Heb. 12.10.11 where the Apostle doth say that God doth chastise vs for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse and that though no chastising for the present seemes to be ioyous but grieuous yet afterward it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse vnto them which are thereby exercised Which to be most true we may see by the examples of Manasses and the prodigall sonne both which could neuer be tamed till miserie came vpon them but then they began to relent and to returne to the Lord as also by Dauids testimonie of himselfe who saith Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy word And againe It is good for me that I haue bene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes Psal 119.67 71. The other way is by increasing our glorie in the heauens aboue as the Apostle S. Paule doth declare in 2. Cor. 4.17 saying For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glorie Seuenthly you must know and marke that as you r crosses and calamities shall be beneficial vnto you and turne to your best so they shall not continue still but shall haue an end as Dauid doth instruct vs in Psal 125.3 saying For the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hand vnto wickednesse And againe he doth say that weeping may abide at euening but ioy commeth in the morning Psal 30.5 For this should quiet our minds and make vs dumbe For if apprentices shall hold out in their hard labour and course fare for seuen yeares together or more and all that time shall be seruiceable vnto their maisters without open murmuring and repining because they see that their bondage will not last for euer but after these yeares are exspired will haue an end much more should we bridle our affections and possesse our soules in patience ceassing from all murmuring and repining whatsoeuer considering that we see and know that our afflictions will haue an end and not continue for euer Lastly you must know and marke that all our murmuring will do vs no good but procure much hurt and more woe vnto vs. For God will deale with vs as we are wont to deale with our children the more that they storme and rage against vs the more stripes we giue them and the lesse countenance we shew vnto them but when they do submit themselues and cry vs mercy then we stay our hand and take the rod and burne it So is it with God the more we fret and chafe against him the more he doth beate vs and the sourer he doth looke vpon vs but when we strike vpon the thigh and come with the prodigall sonne to confesse our fault and to leaue the same all his anger is turned straite into loue and fauour and then the fat calfe is not good enough for vs vnlesse we haue a sweete kisse and other beauenly ioyes prouided for vs besides that For this should quiet our minds and make vs dumbe For what wise man will do that which cannot hurt another but will greatly hurt himselfe Remember we here what Seneca writeth of Caesar who hauing appointed a great feast for his Nobles and friends of all degrees and it falling out that the day was so extreme foule as nothing could be done he being highly displeased at it in extreme madnesse willed all them that had bowes to shoote vp their arrowes at Iupiter whom the heathen tooke for a chiefe god in defiance of him for that foule weather Which when they accordingly did their arrowes lighted short of heauen and fell downe vpon their owne heads and hurt a number of them very sore Euen so do our murmuring and muttering words either for this or for that which God sendeth not hurt him but wound our selues both deeply and dangerously Wherefore to conclude this point in consideration of all these things now rehearsed take heed of murmuring auoide it and refraine from it Do you neither murmure against the Ministers of the word nor against the Magistrates of the land nor against him that sits vpon the throne who is the breath of vs all for to
for him and beseech him most earnestly vpon the knees of our soules that he would alwayes keepe him in his feare that he may neuer fall but abide euermore in his holy integritie amongst vs but beware we that we neuer forget our dutie vnto him but remaine alwayes faithfull and louing vnto him vnto the end And so I passe from this first doctrine and come vnto the second Out of the manner of their rebellion and conspiracie in that they did band themselues and sit in Councell against the Lord and his Annointed Doctr. we collect this doctrine that there are Councels and Parliaments held as well against the Lord as for the Lord and cleane contrary vnto his truth as for his truth This we may see by those Councels which were held in the time of the old Testament as first in the dayes of Omri when cruell and wicked statutes were made against the Lord and his people as may be gathered out of Micha chap. 6.16 Secondly in the dayes of Ahab when all the men of Izreel euen the Elders and gouernors thereof the Nobles and others did assemble together and pronounce death against innocent Naboth for his vineyards sake which he had before denied vnto the king 1. King 21.8 c Thirdly in the dayes of Ieroboam when he tooke counsell and made two calues of gold for diuine worship the one whereof he set in Bethel and the other in Dan. 1. King 12.28.29 Lastly in the dayes of Nabuchadnezzar to passe ouer others when a golden image was set vp in the plaine of Dura in the prouince of Babel for all men to worship vnder paine of extreme punishment euen to be cast into the midst of an hot firie furnace Dan. 3.1 c. This you may see by those Councels which were held in the time of the new Testament in the dayes of our Sauiour and his Apostles For in them the Iewes did not onely excommunicate all those that did confesse Christ Ioh. 9.22 and forbid the Apostles to preach any more in his name Act. 4.18 but they did also in their solemne Councels condemne him to death Math. 26.66 and so caused the Lord of glorie to be crucified Lastly this you may see by those Councels which were held since that time vntill our dayes as by the Councell which was held at Antioch when Athanasius was condemned and the Arrian heresie approued by the Councell held at Ephesus when Eutyches heresie was allowed by the Councell held at Neocasarea when second mariage was forbiddē by the Councell held at Nice when it was concluded that in holy Churches the images of Saints should be worshipped by the Councell at Constance when they were excommunicated that did receiue the Sacrament in both kinds and to let go others by the Councell held at London when in the dayes of Queene Mary open idolatry was commanded and established by law Well then you see this is a matter most cleare and euident that assemblies and Councels are as well against the Lord as for the Lord. But what may the reasons thereof be will you say They are in number these two The one is Reason because the wicked and vngodly haue their assemblies and councels as well as the godly and holy ones as all Chronicles do manifest vnto vs. For as no man doth gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles so no good thing can proceed from them but onely that which is naught and wicked being enmitie to the Lord and all holy wayes according to the qualitie of their crooked and peruerse nature from whence it doth proceed The other is because the godly themselues who haue also their Councels and Assemblies are not perfectly holy but many imperfections do still remaine in them while they are here in this world according to the tenor of the whole Scripture and that saying of Paul to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 13.9 c. For we know in part and we prophesie in part and so forth For they failing through these their imperfections sometimes in iudgement for want of a discerning and vnderstanding spirit and sometimes in affection through the predominant passions of the soule which are not yet rectified according to the word it must needs be that now and then they erre and misse and establish such matters as haue no sanctitie or holinesse inherent in them For this is a most sure ground both in diuinitie and in philosophie that as the cause is such is the effect and therefore seeing the cause here is bad the effect cannot be good but be bad also It is good for vs to thinke on this point Vse and to fasten this doctrine deeply in our soules which now we haue handled For it will be seruiceable vnto vs many wayes For out of it first we may learne contrary to the doctrine of Rome that Councels may erre and be deceiued They hold they cannot and for this wicked assertion of theirs they abuse certaine places of holy Scripture as that in Acts 15.28 It seemed good to vs and the holy Ghost that in Math. 28.20 I am with you to the end of the world and that in Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me So then thus they argue Councels are neuer without the Spirit of God therefore can they not erre A silly argument as though the Spirit of God were at their commandement or were tied to places and persons or being present did leade men into all truth as it did the Apostles whose preachings and decrees are now and were then the rules of our faith and manners Tush Councels are now and then without the Spirit of God as consisting either onely of wicked persons or of a mixt number both good and bad whereof the greater part is the worse as theirs also seemed to be at Rome vnder Iohn the 23 when there appeared a great Owle which stared and outfaced the Pope who blushed at the matter and fuming rose vp and departed and when others whispered one in anothers eare saying That the spirit appeared in the likenesse of an Owle And as Councels are without the Spirit oftē so when they naue it they haue it not in fulnesse or perfection as we touched before and therfore doth not keepe them from all error or mistaking but they may erre notwithstanding the presence of the Spirit which is within them Let this suffice for the confutation of the Papists In the second place we may here learne that seeing there are Councels and Parliaments held as well against the Lord as for the Lord that we must not rashly approue of all things which are established decreed by Councels and Parliaments but we must first examine them whether they be agreeable to the word of God or no. Try all things saith Paul in 1. Thes 5.21 and hold fast that which is good The like counsell Iohn doth giue vs saying Beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1. Ioh.
doth conuerse and liue here in this pilgrimage before him But yet he is sayd rather to be in heauen then in the earth or in any other place many times in the word and that for two causes The one is because he is most glorious there and fullest of all honour and dignitie that being the throne of his Maiestie whereas the earth is but his footstoole Esay 66.1 The other is because there he doth manifest himselfe as most of all and in the greatest splendencie that may be so immediatly and not by meanes whether ordinary or extraordinary as hee doth here in this world as may be seene at large in the 21. Chapter of the Reuelations and other places of the Scripture besides But the chiefe end wherefore he is here sayd in our text which is in hand to be in heauen is to note the vnablenesse of his enimies to do him hurt or to preuaile against him Other ends there are of this saying elsewhere but this is the onely and principall end of it here and it is excellent for that purpose as was obserued before But to come to the other member as God is sayd to sit or dwell in heauen so he is sayd withall to laugh and to make a mocke or derision of them But he that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh the Lord shall haue them in derision Some reade this in the present tense saying But he that dwelleth in heauen doth laugh the Lord hath thē in derision or doth deride thē But we may take it as it is translated in the future tense for so it is in the Hebrew text A man may laugh at the first but weepe after a man may make a derision of his enimie at the beginning but come to ruine and destruction himselfe at the ending But it shall not be so with God he shall laugh both at the first and at the last and make a mocke of his aduersaries as well at the ending as at the beginning And therefore I thinke the holy Ghost did of purpose rather expresse his mind in the future tense then in the present tense not to deny a present act but to include the continuance of it as though God did not onely do it now but should do it still His meaning is that the Lord doth not feare the conspiracies and rebellion of his enimies which were mentioned in the three first verses of this Psalme that he makes no account or reckning of them but doth so lightly respect them as matters that he both will and can dash all to peeces when it pleaseth him For here in this verse and the next verse following is a figure called Anthropopatheia which is when things are spoken of God according to man and as his capacity is able to comprehend For we must not take the words literally but figuratiuely for to speake properly God doth not laugh nor make a derision of any onely man doth this but he doth it not And therefore I say the words are to be taken figuratiuely as they also are which are ascribed vnto wisedome in the latter end of the first Chapter of the Prouerbes when Salomon tels vs that she will laugh at the destruction of the wicked and mocke when their feare commeth If some foolish hare-braind youth of no strength or skill should send a challenge vnto some wise discreet captaine of great valour and experience in warfare the captaine would but laugh at him and make a game-stocke of him as knowing that he can do him no harme but will easily without any ado be ouerthrown by him So after the same maner that we might know that the Lord feares none of his enimies as such as can do him no hurt but that hee can easily at his pleasure bring all their deuices to nought ouercome them when he wil he is said here after the maner of men to laugh at them to haue them in derision God then laughes at his enemies not because he doth like of them or of their attempts against him as we doe oftentimes laugh at such things as please vs well but because hee cares not for them and doth see that all their plots are in vaine which are intended against him But why is this doubled may you say for what cause doth the Prophet tell vs of one thing thing twise First he saith that God shall laugh at them then after that he saith againe that he shall haue them in derision For seeing to laugh at one and to haue him in derision is all one and the one of them doth not differ from the other in sense and meaning the question may bee well moued why the Prophet should vse them both and not content himselfe with one of them alone The answere is this that he did it the better to note out the certainty and assurednesse of the thing whereof he doth speake For as Pharaohs dreames were doubled the one of the kine the other of the corne because the thing which he saw in his dreames was established by God and God did hasten to performe it as it is in Gen. 41.32 So the Prophet here doth double his words because the matter whereof he maketh mention is most certaine and sure and such as he would haue no man to doubt thereof And for this purpose you know doe we our selues oftentimes double our sayings and therefore it is as much in effect as if he had said But hee that dwelleth in the heauen shall laugh yea I say againe the Lord shall laugh and haue them in derision doubt not of it but beleeue it for it is a thing most certaine and true as heauen it selfe The consideration whereof should make vs bee afraid to doe any thing against the Lord. For of all things we do abhorre this most to be made a laughing stocke and a may-game to our aduersaries The Saints do complaine of it in the 44. psalme The Prophet Esay in the 8. chapter of his prophesie Dauid in the 22. psalme And Paul in the 4 chapter of his 1. epistle to the Corinthians And surely if this bee tart and irkesome vnto Gods owne children how shall the wicked bee able to beare it Yet here we see that God doth make a sport at all his aduersaries and doth laugh and deride at them Oh let the due regard of this phrase or manner of speech stay vs alwayes from all rebellion against him and cause vs to bee vpright in our wayes For shall we be a laughter and derision vnto the Almightie No no beware we of that But to leaue the seuerall members wheron many things might be obserued if need did so require to conioyne them together as they ought to be out of them we gather this doctrine Doct. That no power or deuice of man shall bee able to stand against the Lord but shal be ouerthrowne and be brought to nought For this is the end as you haue heard why these two things are reported of God the one of his
and it shall be giuen him as you may see in Iames 1.5 And whereas man will not regard vs in the time of need but then begin to forsake vs when once we come into trouble and miserie though in the time of our prosperitie he made much of vs and was readie to do vs what good he could it is not so with God For if we shall pray vnto him in the midst of all our calamities he will harken vnto vs and become most gracious and fauourable vnto vs to deliuer vs out of them all as he himselfe doth teach vs in Psalme 50.15 saying Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me By all which places you see it is a most cleare and euident doctrine that we must both pray to God and that by our prayers vnto him we shall receiue fauors at his hands And the reason hereof is this we must pray to him Reason because by prayers we do honour him most and bring great glory to his name in that we do acknowledge him to be the giuer of all things and one on whom our whole life and all that we haue do depend By prayers we shall receiue benefites of him because he hath appointed prayers as an ordinarie meanes and second cause to conuey his benefites oner vnto vs. For as he hath appointed the end of all things so he hath appointed also in the same decree of his the meanes which are fit to bring them to the same end And therefore seeing prayer is one of the chiefe and principall meanes which he hath ordained for the powring downe of his gifts and graces vpon mankind it is no maruell though by praying vnto him men do receiue from time to time most rare and excellent blessings from him Learne we then from hence these points Vse First that they are worthy of blame who do neglect prayer and do not powre out their soules from time to time vnto the Almightie as they ought to do It is our part to pray continually as the Apostle doth teach vs in 1. Thes 5.17 and to watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication for all Saints as it is in Ephes 6.18 But yet alas we do it too seldome and some almost neuer in all their liues But let vs amend this our fault and grow better in this respect Secondly that the reason why many do receiue few or no benefits at the hands of God is this not because his hand is shortned it and vnable to do them good but because they do not pray vnto him and aske for benefites of him Ye lust saith Iames and haue not ye enuie and haue indignation and cannot obtaine ye fight and warre and get nothing because ye aske not Iames 4.2 If you say that you aske and receiue not I will answer you with the same Apostle and in the same place that the cause thereof is because ye aske amisse as doth follow there in the next verse Either the thing which you craue is not lawfull and expedient or your mind in crauing is not earnest or Christ is not made the Mediator or the end is not good or the prayer is not continuall or faith lastly is not there to present it If these or any of these faile or be wanting it is no maruell though our prayer receiue the repulse But let them all concurre and meete together as they ought to do then shall we obtaine of God whatsoeuer we will ourselues Thirdly that prayer is a most fruitfull thing and such a meanes as it brings with it vnto vs the great and wonderfull gifts of the Almightie As it will stay the Lord from smiting euen then when his hand is vpto lay on as we may see at large in the beginning of the 32. chapter of Exodus where Moses prayer pacified the Lord and turned his wrath away from the Israelites so that they were not consumed according to their desers so it doth pull downe his mercies and benefits in great abundance vpon vs. For looke what we do desire the Lord is ready to graunt vnto vs yea he doth grant more vnto vs oftentimes then we do desire As for example Zaccheus desired onely to see Christ but befides that Christ called him by his name and offered his owne selfe vnto him for his saluation as it is in the beginning of the 19 chapter according to Saint Lukes Gospell The sicke of the palsie desired onely the health of his body but he obtained also the forgiuenesse of his sinnes as appeareth in the beginning of the ninth chapter according to S. Mathew Salomon desired only wisedome that he might know how to rule his people and to go in and out before them but as God did bestow that vpon him so he did giue him also riches and honor so that among the kings there was none like him all his daies as it is euident in 1. Kin. 3 6. c. Lastly Iacob desired onely food and apparell when he went from his parents to Padan Aram to fetch him a wife amongst his owne kindred but the Lord made him a great rich man and caused him to returne home againe with abundance of wealth and goods as it is storied of him in the booke of Genesis in chapter 28.30 and 33. Well therefore might Paul say that he that is Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call on him Rom. 10.12 And well also might Dauid say that the Lord is neare vnto all that call vpon him yea that call vpon him in truth Psal 145.18 And as for the Lords dealing towards himselfe he doth vtter it in these words Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not denied him the request of his lippes For thou didst preuent him with liberall blessings and didst set a crowne of pure gold vpon his head he asked life of thee and thou gauest him a long life for euer and euer Psal 21.20 c. I pray thinke deeply on these things and let them encourage our hearts to pray still If we were sure that the kings Maiestie would admit vs alwayes into his presence and grant vnto vs whatsoeuer we should desire of him I doubt not but that we should be forward yea too forward to go vnto him often with our suites to haue benefits and high promotions from him But such a king we haue here who is the king of kings and shall not we then commence our suites continually vnto him and waite at the gates of his grace with our supplications a ready drawne in our hands to deliuer them vnto him at his coming forth Kingdomes we say go not a begging yet the Catholicke and vninersall kingdome of Christ which is the greatest of all was obtained by begging For he had it onely for the asking If beggers speed so well we say againe we our selues will begge To conclude therefore this point let vs do it then and runne still to God begging for benefits and doubt we not but we
to time that sinne should not go vncontrolled but be iustly punished according to the nature of it either more or lesse as it did deserue In consideration whereof you perceiue malefactors must not be spared but be duly punished for their faults and offences And the reasons hereof are foure First Reasons that the malefactors themselues who do offend may be brought to the sight of their sinnes and to the leauing of them if it be possble for as Salomon doth say in Prou. 20.30 The blewnesse of the woundserueth to purge the euill and the stripes within the bowels of the belly or else if they will not amend that they may be taken away by death to sinne to more against their owne soules or to pollute the land any longer wherein they dwell And this was the cause wherefore God would haue idolaters to be stoned to death as we may gather from his words in Deut. 17.7 when he saith So thou shalt take the wicked away from among you Secondly that others may learne by their examples to take heed of the like offences lest they be made partakers of the same punishments with them For punishments executed vpon some are oftentimes great terrors vnto others and do bridle them from their licentious wayes as daily experience and all Chronicles of the world do shew But at this time remember one example alone and that is of the third Captaine with his fiftie men spoken of in the first Chapter of the second booke of the Kings for he so profited by the iudgements that came vpon the two former Captaines with their fiftie men apeece when fire came downe from heauen and consumed them all that he submitted himselfe to the Prophet Elijah and fell to intreate him for the safetie of his life as it is in the 14. verse of the same Chapter And this was the cause wherefore God would haue the Iudge to do vnto euery man as euery man thought to do vnto his brother as we may see by his words in Deut. 19.20 when he saith And the rest shall heare this and feare and shall henceforth commit no more any such wickednesse among you Thirdly that the good and innocent may not be corrupted by their company and bad example For as euill words do corrupt good manners so much more do euill deeds and bad conuersation The life and example of one incestuous man was sufficient to corrupt all Corinth And this was the cause wherefore Paul would haue the Corinthians to excommunicate that incestuous person out of their holy fellowship as we may well collect out of his words in 1. Corinth 5.9 when he saith Purge out therefore the old leauen that ye may be a new lumpe as ye are vnleauened For Christ our passeouer is sacrificed for vs. Lastly that the Lords anger who is offended with their sinnes and transgressions may be appeased and not breake out against all for the same For as the sinne of man doth pollute the whole land as the story of the Cananites do shew Leui. 18.24 c. and set all things out of order as we may see by the sinne of Ahab that troubled Israel 1. Kings 18.18 and by the sinne of false apostles that troubled the Galathians Gal. 5.10 as also by the sinne of the prodigall sonne which put him besides himselfe for he repenting of his sinne is sayd to haue come to himselfe Luke 15.17 So it doth driue the Lord away from him and from others for his sake vntill he be duly punished for his sinne as he ought to be as we may see most excellently in the seuenth chapter of Iosuah For there we find that God did leaue Israel for a time for Achans sinne but after he was put to death for the same he did helpe them againe and gaue them a notable victory ouer their enimies And this is the cause wherefore the Lord would haue Moses to put the adulterers to death as we may perceiue by his words in Numb 25.4 when he sayd vnto him Take all the heads of the people and hang them vp before the Lord against the Sunne that the indignation of the Lords wrath may be turned from Israel Out of these things thus layd downe Vse we may obserue many profitable things for our instruction For first thereby we may see that seeing malefactors must be punished that we must not storme nor chafe if the Magistrate and superiour powers inflict vpon vs punishment after that we haue sinned against the lawes of the Lord our God and haue transgressed the good and lawfull statutes of the land Then then I say we must take all things patiently and acknowledge that we haue but our due and that our gouernours therein do but discharge an holy duty which the Almightie doth require at their hands Let children and seruants amongst others marke this well that so when they are corrected and chastised by their parents and maisters for their faults they may possesse their soules with patience and learne thereby to amend and not to fall to murmurings and discontentments as many vngracious children and seruants are wont to do What praise saith Peter to seruants in 1. Pet. 2.20 is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye take it patiently but and if when ye do well ye suffer wrong and take it patiently this is acceptable to God Whereby he shewes vs that this is a necessary duty belonging to all that haue offended quietly and with patient soules to beare such punishments as are layd vpon them for their offences Secondly by it we may see what Magistrates and men of authority ought to do who beare the sword not in vaine as Paul doth speake in Rom. 13.4 but to take vengeance on him that doth euill They must not see offences committed in the land but they must draw out their swords for the punishment thereof A wise king saith Salomon in Prou 20.26 scattereth the wicked and causeth the wheele to turne ouer them His meaning is that good Princes and godly Magistrates cannot away in any hand with wicked persons but they must needs roote them out For vnder the word wheele he alludeth to the manner of threshing vsed among the Iewes in those times The saying is old and true Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri It is as great a vertue to keepe what is gotten as first to get it And euen so it is as good a duty in a Magistrate to see lawes executed and kept as at the first to make them And since they will not be kept of all without punishments therefore punishments are most necessary Ill then and wickedly deale they that haue authority in their hands to cut downe sinne and yet will let it grow and flourish still and neuer punish the offenders thereof The grieuousnesse of which sinne you may see notably in the examples of Ely the Prophet and Saul the King For the Lord had brought most terrible iudgmēts vpon thē both and vpon their posterity
of speech after the manner of a story but now commeth an exhortation to hand wherein all the former rebels standing in most woefull case and dreadfull perill of their liues are graciously called vpon to returne and to submit themselues vnto the Lord and his Annoynted against whom they made their former rebellion and insurrection Great was the sin which they had committed yet the Lord whose mercy hath neither bottome nor measure not willing the death of any sinner much lesse of so many thousands together but rather that by repentance pardon may be procured in this place fauourably vseth the meanes that their hearts may smite them with true feeling of their faults and so they turne be spared He cals vpon them all for true repentance and amendment of life shewing vnto them both wherein it doth stand and also when it must be yeelded vnto him It standeth in two things the one is an heauenly wisedome and an holy knowledge of the Lords waies The other is a loyall subiection and a faithfull obedience vnto his commandements Both these he doth require of them First that they be wise and learned in his word or statutes then secondly that they be subiect and obedient vnto him and his Sonne in performing such duties as do belong vnto them And as for the time when these things are to be done it is straight and out of hand they must not deferre them no not so much as one day but presently they must goe about them whithout any delay or procrastination whatsoeuer This is the summe of this verse with the two next following But to leaue them at this time and to stand onely vpon this marke the paraphrase thereof it runneth after this manner Now therefore saith the Prophet while there is time before the iudgement before spoken of do ouertake you and consume you to nothing labour you to get true wisdome and vnderding plant you the word of the Lord in your soules and be well seene and learned in his statutes that you may know your selues and vnderstand aright what the Lord your God doth require at your hands for all matters which do respect his worship and your owne peace And here I speake not alone to the small ones and the baser sort of the people but I speake to you all and chiefly to you that are the great ones and the states of the land euen to you that are Princes and haue the chiefe stroke in matters of gouernment and to you that are Iudges and haue authority to sit vpon life and death and to censure all matters and persons that are brought before you to you I say do I chiefly speake and therefore looke to your selues deferre not your repentance any longer but presently while you haue time be wise and learned So that the summe of this verse is nothing else Summe but an exhortation vnto the first part of repentance which standeth in the true knowledge of the Lord and his wayes wherein remember two points Part. First the persons to whom the exhortatiō is directed then secondly the matter to the which they are exhorted containing first the time when the duty is to be done which he doth require of them then the thing it selfe wherein it doth stand or consist The persons to whom the exhortation is directed are the kings and iudges of the land The Spirit of the Lord doth single them out by name from all the rest not meaning thereby that they alone were to do the things that here and after he doth require of them but his meaning is by them to vnderstand all of what degree soeuer they were by the figure Synecdoche when some are put for all For he would haue all to repent and to submit themselues vnto the Lord who before did rebell against him But yet he nameth them onely who were thus the Kings and Iudges of the land for sundry causes As first because they were deepest in rebellion and had trespassed most therein as being the ringleaders of all the rest Secondly because they bad more things to stay thē backe then others had and a greater meanes to pull them from the performance of the exacted duties And lastly because they being conuerted would easily draw all others after them and cause them to do as they had done For the multitude commonly doth depend vpon the higher powers and looke what they do the same doth content them well according to that in 2. Sam. 3.36 And all the people knew it speaking of Dauids mourning and fasting for Abner and it pleased them as whatsoeuer the king did pleaseth all the people For these causes and the like the holy Ghost might well direct his speech by name vnto the Kings and Iudges and not speake in generall vnto all though he did meane all and his purpose were to haue euery one to do the things here exacted of them and not that the Kings and Iudges should doe them alone Here by the way we may obserue a notable good instruction which is this namely that Magistrates and men in chiefe authority should first of all turne vnto the Lord and be as the captaines of all the rest in performing loyall and faithfull obedience vnto him in all dutifull manner as it doth become them For first and foremost they are more bound as we say vnto God then others are as hauing larger benefites and greater giftes bestowed vpon them then any besides them haue for the more bountifull that any is to vs the more dutifull should we be to him a gaine Secondly because they for the most part go beyond all others in sins and trespasses for number and greatnesse for the more and greater our sinnes and trespasses be the more speed and hast should we make to leaue them and to turne vnto the Lord from them lest they bring destruction vpon vs before we are aware Finally because all others do hang vpon them as the dore doth on the hinges and turne as they doe turne for whom also they must answere at the dreadfull day of iudgement when all secrets of mens hearts shall be disclosed and euery one shall receiue according to his waies For the more that we may bring to God and the heauier charge we haue to answere the more forward should we be to do those holy duties which do belong to vs that we might saue many and not be damned our selues Oh that gouernours would lay this neare vnto their hearts and make a good vse thereof vnto themselues Blessed yea twise blessed then should both they and we be Abraham Iosuah Samuel Dauid Asa Iehosaphat Hezechia Iosiah and others that were men of great place and authority haue done this long before our daies The Lord grant for his mercies sake that our rulers and chiefe men for gouernment may do it alwaies do it in our daies in the daies of our posterity after vs. But if they should faile herein which God forbid yet let vs who haue some authority ouer others looke
may see by the example of Nicodemus who came to Christ by night Ioh. 3.2 and of Ioseph of Arimathea who went secretly for feare of the Iewes to Pilate to begge leaue to take downe the body of Christ from the crosse and to bury it Ioh. 19.38 so did they feare trouble from abroad as may be seene by their words in Ioh. 11.48 When they say If we let him thus alone all men will beleeue in him and the Romanes will come and take away both our place and all the nation Thus you see that some of them through ignorance some through malice and some through feare did reiect Christ but all of them through their owne corruptions and naughty natures and none of them for any iust cause that was found in Christ himselfe But yet as Daniels enemies did picke out matter against him in regard of his religion for the which they should haue commended him and not haue condemned him as they did so these enimies of Christ haue drawne occasions of dislike against him from sundry things for the which they should rather haue liked him In number they were 4. The first was his base estate who came of meane parents who liued in this world as a poore simple man As the Israelites said whē they reiected Rehoboā for their king What portion haue we in Dauid we haue none inheritance in the house of Ishai to your tents ô Israel now see to thine owne house Dauid 1. King 12.16 As if they should say Why Ishai was but an husbandman Dauid was but a shepheard we wil not be subiect to so base kindred nor suffer such a foole as Rehoboam of their bloud to reigne ouer vs. So these said Is not this the carpenter Maries sonne the brother of Iames and Ioses and of Iuda and Simon and are not his sisters here with vs and they were offended in him Mark 6.3 The second was his familiarity and fellowship with sinners and with those that were publicanes As they reiected Iohn the Baptist for his strangenesse and austerity of life because he came neither eating nor drinking and said of him He hath a diuell so they despised Christ for the contrary because he came eating and drinking and said of him Behold a glutton and a drinker of wine a friend vnto publicanes and sinners Math. 11.17 c. The third was his faithfulnesse in the discharge of his calling in speaking the truth and in reprouing of men for their sinnes As the Prophets and Apostles lost their liues for this so did he leese his life for the same the people still hating him for it vntil they had nailed him vnto the crosse Mat. 21. 26. and Iohn 18. 10. The fourth and last was his strong confidence in God and his sure trust in him As Dauid was flouted at by his aduersaries for his trusting in God chiefly then when God did seeme to forsake him and left him in some troubles they crying out vnto him saying Where is thy God Psalme 42.3 10. So these did floute and mocke Christ chiefly in his troubles for his resting vpon his Father and his good beleefe in him breaking out into these words saying He trusted in the Lord let him deliuer him let him saue him seeing he loueth him Psalme 22.8 From hence Doct. that all persons doe thus oppose themselues against Christ we collect this doctrine as an infallible rule that all those that do truly belong to God and are the sincere members of Christ shal haue troubles enimies here in this world according to the axiome of our Sauiour in Ioh. 15.20 when he saith The seruant is not greater then his maister if they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also The Scripture is full of testimonies for the confirmation of this doctrine but I wil presse onely two or three Paul writing vnto Timothie and making mention of his owne persecutions and afflictions which came vnto him at Antiochia at Iconium and at Lystri lest Timothy or others might thinke that they might be free from all he doth plainely auouch that all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution in 2. Tim. 3.12 In like manner when he Bernabas came againe to these cities now repeated of Antioch Iconium and Lystri whom before they had taught the right way of saluation to confirme the disciples hearts and to exhort them to continue in the faith they told them that they must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14.22 Finally Christ himselfe who is truth it selfe doth teach vs in Math. 10.22 that we shall be hated of all men for his names sake and that those that are of our owne houshold and kindred shall be our enimies vers 36.37 And that wee shall be here in this world as sheepe in the middes of wolues vers 16. But what is the reason of this Reason A man might iudge that the faithfull should be loued and be honored of all the world First because they are deare vnto God who hath not spared his owne Son to redeeme them Rom. 8.32 Secondly because they are peaceable and doe offer wrong vnto none In the mount of the Lord there is no hurt done Isay 11.9 They turne their speares and swords into mattockes and sithes Isay 2.4 Yea they goe like sheepe to the slaughter house Psalme 44.22 Thirdly because they are profitable vnto the world and do bring great commodity to them as Laban fared the better for Iacobs sake Gen. 30.27 Patiphar for Iosephs sake Gen. 39.5 All the Israelites for Moses sake Exod. 32.14 Zoar for Lots sake Gen. 19.21 and the Mariners for Paules sake Acts. 27.24 Fourthly because they are adorned with most rare and excellent gifts Ephes 1.3 Fiftly because they are attended vpon by the most glorious Angels of heauen Math. 18.10 Lastly because they are the children of the Almighty and the apparant heires of all the world Rom. 8.16.17 Heb. 1.14 In regard of all these things a man may well demand and aske Why the world should hate and persecute them But the answere is for these causes First because they are not of their number and fellowship being not men of this world as they be according to the words of our Sauiour in Ioh. 15.19 If you were of the world the world would loue you but because you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Secondly because they are not like them in their waies and conuersations doing as they doe but will be more holy and iust then they are according to the words of Peter in 1. Pet. 4.4 Wherein it seemeth to them strange that yee runne not with them vnto the same excesse of ryot therefore speake they euill of you which shall giue accounts to him that is ready to iudge quicke and dead Thirdly because they reproue them for their euill waies and doe iudge and condemne their opinions and doings which